Daily Archives: August 28, 2009

My uncle did not like a curfew.Well, when a young man’s heart turns to romance….

My Granny grew weary sitting up waiting and listening to the slowly ticking clock until all her brood had returned to the nest. Go easy on my Granny if you don’t mind, this was long before the days of mobile phones, Twitter & Television; and the radio in Ireland was in its infancy.

Granny had a shop to run and needed to rise early and open up with everything ready for her first customers before 7am each morning.So Granny gave in and handed my uncle a house key.He was warned not to abuse the privilege, and with that Granny went back to her normal bed time routine & sleep pattern.

One night my uncle returned very late and silently slipped the key into the keyhole and gingerly opened the front door….

MURDER! MURDER! MURDER!

was the roar that greeted his ears and he froze with one foot over the threshold.It was his mother’s voice.With the return of her normal sleeping pattern, came her usual vivid dreams.I don’t think my uncle stayed out late after that.

Confession is good for the soul, or so my father told me. I can get away with my secret no more.

It is time to come clean.

I am a MURDERER!

I have been burdened down with this secret for a long time now. I was behind the wheel of the car when it happened. It all seemed so quick, that I had no time to take evasive action. I heard the bump and felt the wheel go over the body.

I didn’t stop!

I made no attempt to stop.

I just kept on going until I reached home where I checked the car for damage, but there were no tell-tale signs. Sighing softly I went indoors.

It was a late April morning and I was returning home alone from completing a task that required my signature. The envelope of officially Certified papers slipped from the passenger seat beside me on to the foot-well of the car as I braked. I was travelling downhill and slowing from 40 MPH as I was about to enter a 30MPH zone. There was a car on my tail, the driver paying no heed to his surroundings, if I had opened the boot/trunk he might have driven right into it. He was a known ‘dog lover’ yet he had several animals loose on the back seat of his car? I was aware of them from my rear view mirror.

I had a split second to make my decision… take a hit at the front or have a car with a driver and several dogs dig right into me. Technically he would have been at fault and no doubt the Insurance companies would have sorted it out… EVENTUALLY.

I had enough to contend with as it was.

I was returning from doing something that was down to me as next of kin, I had just Registered Jack’s death and now had funeral details to finalise.

I heard on the radio this morning about a book for SALE at John Lewis.

It is actually a booklet of wartime handy hints updated for these days of Recession!

I missed the boat. The invoices are on their way… You all owe me money 😉 Yipee! I can now look forward to my final days in the glorious comfort of ‘Acorn House’, ‘The Hollies’, ‘The Pines’,or ‘TLC’! Yes, there is a home in Dublin called TLC (Tender Loving Care), if I went there my sister might come to visit.

Classes now available

All of these skills, and more, will be taught or honed in our Make Do And Mend classes happening at selected John Lewis shops throughout late September and October.

Those wishing to join are asked to bring along old clothes they’d like revamped, favourite jumpers that need a little bit of TLC and bags or accessories that simply need updating. Classes will be based around “fashion fixes” to help rescue, repair or reinvent well worn favourites. Advice will include sewing on buttons, darning cashmere and using patches and motifs to revive clothes.

Classes are free to attend* and will last 2 hours.

*Attendees will be charged for materials used

Anyone know of a Cruise Line looking for someone to give a couple of classes a week? 🙄